Sri Lanka Opt to Bowl First Against Undefeated India in ICC CWC 2023
Image credit: Telangana Today
Sri Lanka skipper Kusal Mendis won the toss and elected to bowl first in his side’s ICC Cricket World Cup match against India at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday.
India are undefeated so far in the tournament, with six wins in six matches, while Sri Lanka are struggling, having won only two of their six games.
Speaking at the toss, Mendis said: “We are going to bowl first. I think the pitch will be better for batting in the second part. Everyone did their best in the last few games. Hopefully, they will continue to do the same today. One change, DDS (Dhananjaya De Silva) is not playing, Dushan Hemantha is playing.”
Indian skipper Rohit Sharma, leading India for the first time in a World Cup match at his childhood venue, said: “Would have batted first. Obviously, some assistance to start with but under lights there will be good assistance for our pacers. Great honor, a great moment to lead the team. It is important for us to not get carried away by the performances we put in. Same team as the last game.”
India’s playing XI is as follows:
- Rohit Sharma (c)
- Shubman Gill
- Virat Kohli
- Shreyas Iyer
- KL Rahul (wk)
- Suryakumar Yadav
- Ravindra Jadeja
- Mohammed Shami
- Jasprit Bumrah
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Mohammed Siraj
Sri Lanka’s playing XI is as follows:
- Pathum Nissanka
- Dimuth Karunaratne
- Kusal Mendis (w/c)
- Sadeera Samarawickrama
- Charith Asalanka
- Angelo Mathews
- Dushan Hemantha
- Maheesh Theekshana
- Kasun Rajitha
- Dushmantha Chameera
- Dilshan Madushanka
It will be interesting to see how the match unfolds, with India looking to continue their unbeaten run and Sri Lanka desperate to get back to winning ways.
